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(b) Home Visits ander the Notification of Births Act.
A staff of six health visitors is engaged in the home visiting of
children from early infancy up to the age of live years, and in work
at Infant Welfare Centres.
During the year these health visitors paid 3,028 first visits and
5,145 subsequent visits to children under the age of 12 months;
and 1,114 first visits and 6,530 subsequent visits to children
between the ages of 12 months and 5 years.
(c) Work of the Infant Welfare Centres.
1.—Voluntary Centres.
Nine Centres have been established and maintained by the
Croydon Mothers' and Infants' Welfare Association, the medical
officer and the health visitor as nurse-superintendent being provided
by the local authority. The town is extremely fortunate in
the large amount of voluntary help on which it can rely for the
steady support and extension of the work of these Centres. Of
these Welfare Centres 7 are open once a week, 2 twice a week. In
most cases the premises consist of one or two large rooms in a public
hall, with a smaller room for medical consultations. Screens,
curtains, etc., are used to allow sub-division for the various
activities of the Centre.
2.—Municipal Infant Welfare Centre.
The Municipal Infant Welfare Centre at 228, London Road
utilises during two afternoons each week the two rooms used as a
school clinic during the mornings. In addition, a dispensary and
a medical consultation room are provided.
During 1923 there were recorded at the Welfare Centres in
the Borough (Appendix, Table VIII.) :—20,172 attendances of
children under 1 year of age, 19,872 attendances of children aged
1 to 5 years, 33,589 attendances of mothers. The medical officers
had 11,083 interviews respecting children under 1 year, and 9,106
interviews over children aged 1 to 5.
In addition, as mentioned in another section, 2,870 attendances
were made by expectant mothers.
At each of the Welfare Centres the children are weighed
regularly; those due for medical examination are sent in to the
doctor, and mothers take the opportunity of discussing their difficulties
with the health visitor, the workers and other mothers at the